May 2022
Samantha
Butter
,
RN, BSN
Orthopedic
Overlook Medical Center
Summit
,
NJ
United States
During one visit when he didn’t seem to make much sense or know where he was, Sam stopped in during her shift. He immediately recognized her.
My father was admitted to the hospital after he fell and broke his femur one night in early March. I remember visiting him the first night when he was still in pain and waiting for surgery when we met Sam. She was his first nurse on the ward. While he and I were talking, she casually reached over and adjusted his blanket which was no longer covering his foot. This was the first of many small things she did to ensure he was comfortable and well looked after. After surgery, my father started suffering from some post-surgical complications and his case became much more serious. Suddenly, things like monitoring his oxygen and blood pressure became urgent, and he had to spend a few days in the ICU. When he returned to the ward, he had grown confused as he had been in the hospital for over a week at that point. During one visit when he didn’t seem to make much sense or know where he was, Sam stopped in during her shift. He immediately recognized her. That was astonishing to me. She had such an impact on him that he would remember her at a time when he was having trouble keeping basic facts straight. During this very stressful stay, Sam expertly helped my family navigate my father’s care. She would help us contact the doctors when we needed them, and also took our observations into account. During this week, Sam was training a new nurse, who was also helping out with my father. Sam was extraordinarily diligent in teaching the new nurse. I watched them discuss my father's medications and Sam explained everything to her in great detail. Whenever we asked Sam questions, we also got very thorough and useful answers. She was always patient and helpful, never rushing out of the room. She was great at keeping us updated on the information that mattered and relaying our observations to the medical staff. My father wasn’t allowed to eat for a week because of various conditions he was dealing with. When he could finally eat again, he wasn’t trying much of what was served. I mentioned to Sam one night he might eat some yogurt, and she took it upon herself to personally get him yogurt for dinner, which he happily ate. It’s the little details like these that made us so grateful that Sam was his nurse. We can't say enough about the rest of the staff on the floor as well – the nurses, assistants, room cleaners, front desk staff, and physical therapists were all extraordinarily helpful and caring, and of course, the doctors who worked so hard to get him better. We won't forget Sam for the care and attention she paid to my father at a time when he needed help far in excess of what the average orthopedic patient would normally require. I hope you let her know how much we appreciated her and how wonderful of a nurse we truly believe she is.